“That’s just the engine powering up… that’s just the engine struggling… that’s just a carp swimming around your ankles…” – Homer Simpson
Recently I took a trip to Europe. I have never flown over the Atlantic before, but on this flight everyone had their own little TV screen built into the headrest of the seat in front of them. I found this to be quite nice; an 8 hour flight in coach sucks, but it is much easier when you have a decent handful of free movies and tv shows with which to entertain yourself.
One of the TV shows you could select was The Simpsons. Unfortunatly there were no episode titles, and that being said I almost didn’t watch them as even if they weren’t quite Zombie episodes, I assumed they probably wouldn’t be more than 10 years old.
Luckily I was wrong. I held my breath, clicked on each one, and found out that the 3 episodes that were available were “Bart Gets An F” and “Who Shot Mr Burns?” parts 1 and 2. I don’t know why these particular episodes and not more recent ones were available, and I would be stupid to think cost wasn’t part of the equation, but I choose to believe that even an industry which gouges its customers any way it can, constantly needs government assistance, regularly forces union concessions, and seems to lose luggage for sport, can still tell the difference between brilliant comedic cartoon writing and the shit show that is Zombie Simpsons.
Dead Homer Society 
4 responses to “Even The Airlines Know The Difference”
Earlier this year I flew Emirates Airlanes from Australia to the UK and back – they also have the little TV sets built into the headrest in front of you. Five Simpsons episodes were available amongst all the movies, TV shows, games etc – “Bart the General,” “The Telltale Head,” “Homer’s Triple Bypass,” “Marge in Chains” and “Homer the Great.” So it looks like Emirates draw the line at Zombie Simpsons too (that being said, they edited out the helicopter crash gag in “Homer the Great,” for fear of freaking out the passengers I guess).
I guess I should have specified that I flew Continental. But that’s awesome; I’m glad it isn’t an isolated incident.
It’s nice that they had some Season 1 on Emirates. Isn’t the point of in flight entertainment, especially on transoceanic flights, to keep the passengers in line? Slap up some shit from Season 16 or the like and you’re risking mutiny. Best to go with the good stuff.
If I was checking out what Simpsons episodes were playing on the flight and was confronted with anything from season 16, my reaction would have been akin to Lyle Lanley’s when he found out his plane was about to touch down in North Haverbrook.